Homework
by Amos Whirly
Summary: [COMPLETE sequel to Selfish] Terry McGinnis has a secret, but it's not as secret as he thinks it is.
1. Part One

**Batman Beyond  
****"Homework"  
****By Amos Whirly**

**Part One**

The cave was dark and dank like it always was as he climbed out of the Batmobile. The door slid shut behind him, and he pulled his mask off. His thick black hair immediately fell wildly about his face, and he shook it out of his eyes with a snort.

"Slow night?" a dark voice queried, echoing from the shadows.

"Nothing," he answered, taking the steps two at a time until he reached the main level. "I've never seen it so slow."

Nineteen-year-old Terry McGinnis popped his neck as he approached the computer where aged Bruce Wayne sat, tapping absently on the keyboard and staring at the screen.

Ace, Wayne's Great Dane, perked up his ears at Terry's approach and uttered a pleased sound when the teenager scratched them.

"Not even a Joker," Terry mused.

"Why don't you go home early then?"

Terry glanced at his employer blankly, not certain if he had heard correctly. "Did you say what I think you said?"

Wayne leveled a steely glance in his direction. "Go home, McGinnis. You've earned a night off."

"Are you feeling well? Doc put you on some kind of new medication?"

Wayne shot him another withering look, and Terry held up his hands. "Okay, okay! Geez."

"I'm assuming you have homework."

It was Terry's turn for an acidic glare. "Are you kidding? Homework on a Friday night?"

Wayne grumbled something inaudible at the computer screen. Terry quickly shed his suit and changed into street clothes.

"Are you sure about this?" Terry asked, coming to stand beside Wayne's chair.

"If you don't want the night off, I can come up with something for you to do."

"Uh, no, that's okay," he answered hurriedly. "It's just—"

"If you aren't going to do homework, then you're probably going to go to Dana's house."

"Dana."

"She moved back in with her father, right?"

"Yeah. Right."

Wayne sighed heavily. "What's she on about now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yeah, Bruce, nothing. It's weird."

Wayne narrowed his faded blue eyes.

"It's—It's like she totally supports anything I do," Terry exploded, pounding his fist on the top of the chair. "She doesn't get mad at me anymore, even when the phone rings. She doesn't threaten to walk after I stand her up. She's just been – awesome."

"So?"

"So what?" Terry glared at him.

"There's a problem?"

"Something's wrong, Wayne," Terry leaned on the computer panel, crossing his arms and obviously thinking hard. "She's never acted like this before."

"Terry, I'm failing to see the issue here."

"She's acting all nice because she's going out with someone else."

Wayne sighed again.

"That's the only explanation I can think of," Terry hung his head. "She's finally had it up to here with me, and she's gonna' walk."

Wayne merely shook his head.

"And it's my fault."

Wayne turned to glare at him pointedly.

"You think I should talk to her."

Wayne did not answer.

"Well, I don't want to," Terry crossed his arms again and looked away. "I don't care what you say, Bruce."

Wayne leaned back in his chair and twined his fingers together, still focusing sharply on his young friend's face.

Terry's expression turned from petulantance to obstinance to disgust. "Fine!" he huffed. "I'll go talk to her." He grabbed his backpack and stomped up the stairs toward the Manor's main floor.

"I'll call you if something comes up," Wayne's deep voice echoed in the Batcave.

"You always do," Terry grumbled as the door shut behind him.

Wayne watched him go, the barest hint of a smile quirking his mouth.

* * *

She did not move when the doorbell rang. Instead, she chewed harder on the end of her pen and focused with all her mental capacity on the chemistry problem laughing at her from the data pad.

Black eyes intent on the problem, she did not notice when her boyfriend, Terry McGinnis, came up the stairs to her room.

She jumped in surprise as he flopped on the bed next to her.

"Terry!" she gasped.

"Hey, Dana," he nudged her with his broad shoulder. "Is the data pad going to bite you or something?"

"It's this stupid chemistry lesson! I don't get it."

"Let me see," he took the data pad from her. "You have Daniels, don't you?"

"Yes, and he's a nightmare," Dana sighed dramatically, leaning her head against Terry's arm and smiling at the warmth of his muscles. "The other kids in class are certain he's a wacko. He threatened us with a painful death if we don't pull our grades up."

"Seriously?"

"Ter, come on," Dana giggled. "Teachers can't do that."

"What's your grade so far?"

"Probably a D."

"And you're not worried?"

"I would be, if Daniels really was a wack-job. He's just a weirdo."

"I don't know, Dana," he hesitated. "You should tell someone if your teacher's making threats like that."

"Old man Howard at Hamilton Hill always threatened us," Dana rolled her eyes. "Remember? Told me he'd pull my toenails out if I didn't get around the track in a minute flat. But he never made good on it. You know how teachers are, Ter. They just need to get their bluff in."

He did not seem convinced but focused on her assignment. As he scanned over the data pad, trying to figure out what was wrong with her computations, Dana allowed her mind to wander.

She and Terry had been dating since their junior year of high school, and they had remained together even through their first semester as freshmen at Gotham University. Only recently, however, Dana had realized an important aspect of her boyfriend's life – a realization she had decided to keep to herself.

_ He looks tired_, her mind said as she unobtrusively examined the dark circles under his eyes. _It must have been a rough night_.

She suddenly sat up and began to rub his muscled shoulders. "Gee, Terry, you're all tight!" she exclaimed, leaning forward and snatching the data pad out of his hands. "You don't need to do that. I can figure it out."

"Dana, I don't mind."

"I know you don't," she teased with a kiss on his cheek. "But you've probably had a long day, and the last thing you need to be doing is my homework."

He relented after a moment and sat still while she worked the knots out of his back. He sat patiently until he thought he would go mad. And he reached up and took one of her small hands and brought it to his chest. Instantly, she surrounded him in a warm embrace, her head on his shoulder, her hair smelling of roses and lilies.

"What is it, Dana?" he whispered.

"What's what?"

"What's wrong?"

She lifted her head, searching his face. "Nothing. Terry, nothing's wrong."

He moved until he was facing her.

"No, Dana. Something's wrong. Something's—different. I want you to tell me."

"Terry," she took his other hand and gathered them close to her. "There's nothing wrong. I—I've just stopped being so selfish."

"What?"

"I've stopped being selfish, Terry," she nodded fiercely. "I realized that—" she hesitated, an unreadable expression flashing across her face. "I realized, Terry, that other people need you too. Mr. Wayne needs you." She smiled beautifully, tears suddenly brimming in her ebony eyes. "And you're good enough to help him. So if you can make that kind of sacrifice for him, I can make a sacrifice for you."

"You aren't – angry?"

"Angry?" she laughed aloud.

"I – I thought –"

"That I was getting ready to leave?" she leaned closer to him.

He looked down, a blush spreading across his face.

"I don't blame you for thinking that," she whispered. "The way I've acted in the past – Terry, I was so mean to you."

"Dana, it was totally my fault. I deserved it. I still do. And if you want—"

She laid her fingers against his mouth and leaned close again.

"Shut up, McGinnis," she said and kissed him soundly.

He waited a moment before returning her kiss, still amazed and trying to discern her motives.

_ Why is she acting like this?_ his mind kept asking.

When she finally stopped, she laid her forehead against his and smiled again.

"You know what, Ter?"

"What?"

"I love you."

He blinked for a moment. "Dana." He gazed into her eyes. "I love you too." And he kissed her. Her hands wound into his hair, and he pulled her close against his chest.

And his phone rang.

He wanted to break something.

He flinched, expecting her to be angry. She sat calmly on his lap, smiling still.

"Mr. Wayne is calling."

"Dana, I'm sorry; I—"

She interrupted him with a chaste kiss to the lips. "You go on, Ter. I have to finish my homework."

The phone was still ringing.

"You—You aren't mad?"

"Terry," she chuckled, "you need to answer—"

"You're not mad?"

"No," she said. "And I'm not going to be. I told you. I'm not going to be selfish anymore. But Mr. Wayne will probably be mad, if you don't answer that phone."

He stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Dana, I don't understand."

She stood up and leaned over to look into his piercing blue eyes, whispering, "You don't have to understand, Terry. Just believe me."

Terry searched her face for a moment before he suddenly stood and hit the receive button on the cell phone. "Hang on, Wayne."

He set the phone on the bed, swept Dana into his arms, and kissed her fiercely.

"I'll be back," he whispered, hugging her tightly.

"I'll be waiting."

He kissed her again, grabbed the phone and his pack, and raced down the stairs. Dana watched him go, her smile filled with genuine happiness.

"Just be careful," she breathed, "Batman."


	2. Part Two

**Batman Beyond  
****"Homework"  
****By Amos Whirly******

**Part Two**

Batman landed solidly on the ledge of the Murray Building, scanning up and down the street with sharp eyes. His black costume shone in the artificial street lights. He tapped the side of his head with one finger.

"Wayne?"

"I'm here, Terry," Bruce's voice sounded slightly less dark over the receiver – though no less intimidating.

"Are you sure about this call?" he asked. "I don't see anything."

"Keep looking. The signal came from the near proximity of your location."

"And it was a distress call?"

"Yes."

A scream suddenly echoed through the air, and he whirled around, eying a young woman racing down an alleyway. A figure chased after her.

"See something?" Bruce's voice sounded oddly amused.

"Time to go to work."

Batman leaped off the ledge and caught an air current that carried him quickly to the alley floor. The moment his feet impacted, he started running. He rounded a corner and jumped into the air, slamming brutally into the back of the dark figure. Batman grabbed the man's shoulders and flipped him bodily to the ground.

The man uttered a shriek of insane laughter as he hit and kept laughing as he lay on the alley floor. Before Batman could kneel down to question him, the woman flung herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Thank you, Batman!" she cried. "He was going to kill me!"

She was sporting a bloody wound on her hand. Though concerned for her, Batman took her shoulders and moved her out of his way.

The man had gotten to his feet and threw something round at Batman's feet! It exploded and filled the alley with green, choking smoke.

Batman grabbed the woman by the waist, unfurled his red wings, and fired the boosters in his boots. They sailed above the noxious cloud of smoke.

The man had disappeared.

The woman was still sobbing against him. With a heavy sigh, he spotted a police car by the side of the road. He set down gently and waved at the officers, who immediately ran toward him.

"The police will take care of you," he extricated himself from the woman's hold.

"Thank you, Batman!" she cried again, still in near-hysterics. "I just can't believe he would do something like that."

"Did you know him?"

"Well, yes," the woman nodded.

"How?"

"He's my chemistry teacher."

* * *

The doorbell rang. Dana sat up and listened, cocking an eyebrow.

"Surely it wouldn't be Terry," she muttered, sliding off the bed and walking downstairs.

She checked her reflection as she passed the hall mirror, though, just in case. She was wearing a pair of loose black sweat pants and a blue midriff shirt. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head.

She hurried down the stairs as the doorbell rang again, and she peered through the peephole. A sudden sense of uncertainty washed over her, and she scowled. She made sure the chain on the door was fastened, and she opened the door.

"Dana Tan?"

"Mr. Daniels?" she addressed the middle-aged man on her front porch. "What are you doing here?"


	3. Part Three

**Batman Beyond  
****"Homework"  
****By Amos Whirly**

**Part Three**

The heat on the soles of his feet told him that he was overexerting the boosters, but he did not care. Batman soared over the buildings of downtown Gotham like a bullet, blind to any crime that might have been taking place beneath him.

"Wayne? Do you have that information yet?"

"Calm down, Terry."

"I should have stayed with her. I shouldn't have left her."

"McGinnis, you're not going to help her by loosing your cool."

Batman bit his tongue and sailed easily around a building. The suburbs were coming into view.

"Anthony Daniels," Bruce said over the receiver. "Chemistry teacher at Gotham University. Former special op agent."

"Great. Just great."

"Looks like he was involved in some high security dealings with military."

"This is getting better all the time. What kind of credentials does he have?"

"Martial arts, weapon training, assault skills," Bruce seemed to be reading from a list. "Your best be is going to be to knock him down."

"Knocking them down is never the problem. They just never _stay_ down."

* * *

When Daniels rammed the door, it broke off its hinges. The impact sent Dana crashing to the floor. She gaped at him as he stormed into her house like a thunderhead, his grizzled face twisted with rage.

"You aren't studying, Miss Tan."

"Oh, gee," she hissed and scrambled to her feet.

She darted toward the kitchen, but he snatched the back of her shirt and flung her brutally into the desk against the far wall. She ducked under his fist but crumpled as his foot slammed into her stomach. His gloved hand grabbed her chin and forced her onto the desktop, bending her back cruelly as he pressed his body against her.

"I can't abide ill-attentive students—"

She groped for the letter opener her father kept in his top drawer.

"No D-students in my class," he hissed against her neck and screamed as she stabbed the letter opener in his arm.

He let go, and she wriggled out of his grasp. As she hit the kitchen door, she heard the unmistakable sound of steel. She turned and saw him coming at her with a knife. She lunged into the kitchen, but he followed. She snatched the cutting board off the counter top and shrieked as he charged at her, the knife slicing cleanly through the board. She lost her balance and fell to the tile floor.

The only other object in view was a broom, which she grabbed. She stood and hit him soundly across the face with it.

Daniels did not budge. His maniacal grin did not falter.

Dana backed against the wall, her fingers desperately searching for anything with which to defend herself.

There was nothing.

She managed to get around the first swipe of the knife, but the second caught her left arm, sending stinging pain surging through her, and the third cut deep into her right leg. She ducked around him and limped for the front door. He lunged at her and knocked her to the floor, holding her face into the carpet. She kicked her good leg and unseated him, struggling to stand, but he grabbed her ankle and dragged her down again. He backhanded her viciously and gripped his knife.

"You failed my course, little girl."

She could not escape his hold.

"That means," his mad eyes narrowed, "you die."

He reared back to strike, and with the sound of flaming boosters and a blur of black, Daniels disappeared. A mighty crash reverberated through the house. With a panicked gasp, she got to her feet and limped to the kitchen door.

Batman and Daniels were struggling in the kitchen. The mad chemistry teacher was kicking, swinging, and punching with grace and elegance, and Batman was taking nearly every hit.

Dana tried not to cry as Batman took a ferocious hit to the back and crashed into the counter.

Daniels found his knife again and lunged.

"Look out!" she shrieked.

Daniels's body gave a sudden jerk as a loud clang echoed through the kitchen. With a gurgling grunt, Daniels fell backward and flopped on the kitchen floor, his nose broken and a few of his teeth falling out.

Batman stood with a cast iron skillet that he had pulled out of the sink.

He cast a gaze at Dana, standing in the doorway, and slowly began to tie Daniels up. Dana watched him and limped to the desk chair, where she sat down and waited, trying to calm herself down.

A quiet footstep alerted her to his presence.

"Are you all right?" his deep voice shook her to her soul.

She could only nod.

Batman knelt down and quickly examined the bloody wound on her shoulder and leg, and he scowled visibly at her bleeding face. He caught her chin in his hand and lifted her face to get a better look.

When she saw his masked face, all her strength crumbled, and she collapsed in his arms. He allowed her to cling to him.

_McGinnis_, his mind hissed hatefully, _how many times are you going to put her through this? How many times are you going to abandon her just to see her nearly die? _

Her little fingers clutched his suit as she sobbed against him.

_You can't stay here_, the other part of his mind kicked in. _Get out of the suit and come back. Like you always do._

He stood quietly and tried to sit her in the chair.

She refused.

"Ma'am," he cleared his throat, "the police are on their way."

"Don't go," she whispered against his chest.

"Daniels won't hurt anyone else."

"Please don't go."

_You're being childish, Dana_, she said to herself. _Let him go._ A fresh wave of terror flooded through her at the thought of being without his embrace for even a minute, and she clung even harder to him. _Tell him._

Batman patted her back gently, glancing at the clock over the mantelpiece.

"Ma'am," he tried again.

She was helpless. It slipped out before she could stop it.

"Don't leave me, Terry."

She felt the shock rush through him, every muscle in his body tightening, and she held tightly to him.

_What did she say?_ his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts._ No, she didn't say that. She couldn't have. How could—She couldn't—Could she?_

"The police will be here soon," he managed to say in a futile attempt to ignore her. "They'll take care—"

"Cut the crap, McGinnis. I know it's you."

The room was spinning. His heart pounded wildly against his ribs. It had suddenly become excruciatingly difficult to breathe.

"I don't think—"

She pulled away suddenly and looked up into his masked face. She took a deep breath, set her hand against his cheek, and calmly sat in the desk chair.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she closed her eyes.

"How long have you known?" his voice was as rigid as his frame.

"A few months."

A police siren cut through the night air.

She looked up at him. "Go on. I'll be here."

He hesitated.

"Go, T—Batman," she blushed. "Go. We'll talk when you get back."

A car door slammed. He cast one last look at her and bolted for the window in the kitchen. Dana drew herself up and forced herself to stand as the police came in.

"Ma'am, are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," she said. "He's tied up in the kitchen."

"Do you need—"

"I need you to get that mad man out of my house," Dana said. "I'll take care of myself, thank you."

* * *

His breath came in shallow gasps as he perched on the wall of Dana's house, the stealth mode on his suit engaged so as to hide from the police.

_She knows. She knows. How could she know? _

He leaned his head against the wall.

_Is that—Is that why she's been acting so weird? So – supportive? That's it. It all makes sense. But why? I thought for sure she'd hate me._

"Terry?" Bruce's voice crackled in his ear.

"Yeah."

"Did you stop him?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong? Is Dana all right?"

"She's a little beat up, but—but—"

"But what, McGinnis?"

"She knows."

"What?"

"She knows, Bruce. She knows. I don't know how she knows, but she knows. She figured it out."

Silence.

"I didn't tell her, Bruce, I swear."

Silence.

"Come on, Wayne, talk to me."

He heard the old man on the other end of the line sigh exhaustedly. "You didn't tell her?"

"No, Bruce, I would never."

"She figured it out on her own? Like Maxine?"

"Yeah."

"Either kids today are smarter than they were in my time, or you're terrible at disguising yourself."

"Don't suppose you'd go for the first one, would you?"

"Will she keep her mouth shut?"

"She's known for months, Bruce. She just told me tonight."

Wayne was quiet for a long time before he spoke again. "Fine."

Batman let out a breath he did not know he had been holding. He slid off the wall and moved to a dark portion of the yard where he quickly changed clothes.

* * *

Dana grunted with exertion as she tried to wrap her wounded leg. She was not having much success. She tried not to jump when she felt someone behind her. Hesitantly, she glanced into the bathroom mirror, and she smiled when she saw Terry standing in the doorway, his blue eyes serious.

"Terry."

He did not speak but moved quickly, sweeping her into his arms and setting her on the sink. He worked silently for the next hour, cleaning and bandaging her injuries.

As he was finishing with her leg, she set her hand on top of his.

"Please don't be angry, Terry."

He fastened the bandage in place and stood, folding her into his arms. "I have no right to be angry with you, Dana," he whispered fiercely into her hair, "and you have every right to hate me."

"I don't," she kissed his forehead and hugged him tightly.

He lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs.

A few hours later, Dana had changed clothes, and Terry had cleaned up the blood in the bathroom and the kitchen. He had managed to rehang the door as best as he could, wincing slightly as he thought how Mr. Tan would react when he returned from his business in Bangkok.

Terry walked upstairs to Dana's room and sat next to her on her bed.

"When did you figure it out?"

She snuggled closer to him. "Remember that dream I was having?"

"Yeah?"

"It wasn't a dream. It was a memory. From the time you saved me from the sewer."

"The rat boy."

"Right. I just – I just put the pieces together, I guess."

"Is it _that _obvious?"

"Not really," she smiled. "I'm just intelligent."

Terry laughed in spite of himself and then sobered. "Have you told anyone?"

"No," she shook her head. "And I'm not going to. I wouldn't have said anything tonight, it's just that—"

"Don't," he stopped her. "You were scared. And you shouldn't have had to be."

"Terry, stop."

"Dana, now that you know—you have to realize—Dana, I can't—No matter how much I—"

She sat up and silenced him. "If I had wanted to go, I would have stopped seeing you months ago, Terry. I know what this means. I understand the risks. And I don't care. I told you that I love you, and I mean it. And nothing is going to stop that. Not Bruce Wayne, not Batman, not," she laughed, "a maniacal chemistry teacher – no one."

He regarded her in silence while she spoke, and when she finished he hugged her.

"I just can't believe it. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I—I couldn't," he leaned back against her headboard. "I almost quit so many times, Dana."

"For me?"

"No, for me," he shook his head. "I wanted to be Batman _and _Terry at the same time, and that can't be done. I was being selfish. I wanted my time and my friends, and I wasn't thinking about the city. And that's why Batman exists."

She leaned against him.

"So I made a decision," he closed his eyes. "I decided that if I was going to be Batman, I was going to be the best I could be – and that meant putting Terry on hold. No matter how much I wanted to be normal, I knew I couldn't. I couldn't stop. Because if I did," he made an amused noise. "This city has always had Batman. It needs Batman."

"Then, it's a good thing you're here to save the day," she whispered against him.

"I can't always be there for you, Dana."

"But I can always be here for you. And that's enough for me."

She nestled into his arms, and he held her close.

"Your chemistry homework is going to be late," he mumbled with a snort.

"I think I'll drop the class," she giggled into his shirt. "After all, I can get chemistry lessons from Batman – and he's a better teacher than any college professor."


End file.
